Strange Planet by Nathan W. Pyle

I do not follow the Strange Planet comics but I keep getting exposed to them anyway because they're constantly showing up in my Twitter feed. I always found them amusing, so when I found out that Nathan Pyle just released a collection of his work, I was excited to read it. How do I even begin to describe Strange Planet? Through the medium of aliens who talk like Vulcans, Pyle examines some of the strange things we do on the day-to-day, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary through the humorous lens of an outsider.

As these aliens act out human tasks as if by pantomime, we're introduced to a hilarious lexicon of new words for familiar things. Neckties become "seriousness cloths," honey becomes "plant liquid partially digested by insects and then stolen," sunscreen is "star damage limiter," and vacuum cleaners are "rollsucks," some of which have "filth windows," so you can closely monitor the rollsuck's progress as it sucks up the alarming amounts of filth from your foot cushions.

I find that it's hard to review graphic novels like these because they don't really have a cohesive "plot." But I think if you enjoy comics like Cyanide and Happiness and Sarah's Scribbles, you'll really enjoy Strange Planet. It brought a smile to my face after an exhausting day, and I can't say that about too many books I've been reading lately. I hope it warms your heart, too.

4 out of 5 stars